Since the beginning of time, the Ancients have appointed a single
being to look over each planet. Thus begins the epic series of
Might and Magic. For those who have never played any Might and
Magic games, here’s a quick recap of what has happened since
the last few games. It all started out on a small planet called Vron,
where the adventures started in a town called Sorpigal. They soon
discover that the king is phony named Sheltem, who after being
defeated runs away to another planet. In Might and Magic II, the
game takes place on a new planet, where a new group of
adventuers met up with Corak where they must reunite his body
and soul. Soon you learn that Corak is not of that world, but
really an Anceint. The game really gets interesting in the next
game, Might and Magic III that is still my all time favorite. The
World of Terra explains that the Ancients have seeded the galaxy,
and each planet has been assigned a protector. Terra’s protector
was Sheltem, however he was a poor protector. Corak was
created to replace Sheltem, and once again the heroes drive
Sheltem back into space. Might and Magic IV and V can be
considered one game, because they are the light and dark side of
a planet called Xeen. This planet is in the beginning stages, and
isn’t ready according to the Ancient standards. Sheltem uses one
of his goons, Lord Xeen to control the planet in order for him to
return back to Terra. On the dark side of Xeen, Sheltem is in
control, and once again Corak needs the heroes to destroy him. In
the end, apparently both Sheltem and Corak are destroyed. After
they both die, the planet becomes a true planet, and from there
Might and Magic VI takes place. They start to wonder why the
planet is under attack, and why no one has heard from the
Ancients. They soon realize that a race called the Kreegen is
against the Ancients. Of course the heroes are able to thwart most
of their plans. Finally on to Might and Magic VII, the Ancients have
finally become silent, and hence the rest of the story. Among all
this the Heroes of Might and Magic series has no Sci-fi element to
it, rather the struggles between two brothers in Enroth.

The game starts off with you on a scavenger hunt. The winner gets
to become the Lords of Harmondale, a land that is caught between
the Elven and Human wars. Near the beginning of the game you
can choose either to join the dark side or the light side. When a
judge dies, you get to choose the successor. This adds to the
replay ability because quests will be different as well as the
outcome of the game. For example, if you decide to join the good
side, a quest would require you to rescue a kidnapped girl, while
the dark side would require you do kidnap the same girl. Also, a
very interesting ingame element is Acromage. This game is similar
to any fighting game with cards such as Magic: The Gathering. It is
highly addictive, and you can earn money by playing that game
across the land.

Different races and more classes have been added to MM7. In MM6
you were restricted to just using humans and six different classes.
Now nine base classes are included. What I mean by base is that,
in the game each hero must perform a quest in which they
become a new class. Take the thief for example. After a few
quests here and there the thief becomes an assassin. There are
many attributes and skills in the game to learn. Some include skills
such as stealing, arms master and alchemist. There are dozens
more, each with it’s unique ability. Note that not all classes can
learn each skill, which makes the party creation vital. For
example, there is no way that a monk can have the ability to wear
plate armour. Along with the attributes and skills there are
numerous spells in the game which are divided in to several
categories such as Mind, Body, Spirit, the four elements, and the
light and dark magics. Each spell caster has to attain a certain
level before the spells can be learned. This is new to the Might
and Magic series, as in the past basically if you could buy the
spells, you could cast them.
It is often said that first impressions count. MM7 fails in this
department with a pitiful game engine. It is about two years old
(same as MM6). Although it has fixed up minor flaws such as
smoother textures, it is still behind in today’s standard. The game
sprites look like ‘cardboard cut outs’ as my friend described them.
They all have jagged edges, and they become blurry when the
player comes up close to them. Also the lightning bolt spell looks
like a white line shooting across the screen. The game supports
D3D, although I see no difference in software render except for a
few minor lighting effects. Every time the heroes enter a new
building or dungeon, there are beautifully rendered scenes. With
this being said, it is important to note that MM7 is not a 3D game.
The graphics do not add to the enjoyment of the game, nor do they
take anything away.

The computer AI is nothing desirable. The monsters get stuck in
walls, they attack each other (maybe apart of the game) and they
run around in circles when there is no direct line to attack the
heroes. One of the spells in MM7 is Wizard’s Eye, which allows you
to be able to see all monsters and NPCs in the area. With this
enabled, you can see that the computer AI just randomly moves
the units until they find a path to attack you. This makes the game
extremely simple when fighting. Basically arm all your heroes with
bows or crossbows, run around and shoot the monsters. This
strategy often works because of the poor design, however when
monsters have surrounded you, an interesting option is
available. You can switch to turn based combat. Basically with
this, you have bought yourself more time to consider what spells to
cast or to use melee attacks.

The sound is also outdated. Walking around the dungeon sounds
like some retro 286 game with the cheap footsteps. As well, the
annoying parade noise the game makes when you switch into turn
base mode gets on your nerve after hearing it for the billionth
time. However, the background score is incredible. It really sets
the mood for the game, however it contains a flaw that it doesn’t
loop. Which means if your exploring a dungeon for more than 5
minutes, you will soon discover that there is no more music.

Overall Might and Magic VII is a decent game if you have no other
game to play. The RPG scene has been dry for a long time, and if
your looking for a game to keep you occupied during the summer
Might and Magic VII is an admirable choice. For those who already
love this series, you should buy it no matter what because it is
overall pretty fun with all it’s flaws. For those who are seeking a
thrilling shoot’em up style of game, search elsewhere. If you can
overlook the graphics and the sounds, Might and Magic VII is an
excellent game to spend your time on.